Stone World was started by Mike and Stephanie Lench in November 1984. At that time, GranQuartz was busily introducing machinery and equipment for the stone industry to include large diameter (11-6 foot) block saws, automatic abrasive line polishers, edge polishers, etc.

With a vote of 565 to 25, the memberships of Marble Institute of America (MIA) and Building Stone Institute (BSI) have overwhelmingly decided to authorize a historic merger of North America's two most prominent stone associations.

Artisan Group member Smokey Mountain Tops is the first stone fabricator in Tennessee to be accredited by the Marble Institute of America (MIA). Accredited Natural Stone Fabricators have completed a rigorous process of testing quality, safety and service to ensure they hold themselves to a higher standard on residential and commercial stone projects.